Grain-door.



H. J. SGHWEITZBR.

GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 10, 1909.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 10, 1909.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

3 SHEETS-BHEET Z.

frrnaru J 9c/weie?" @t/fiom@ M H. J. SCHWEITZER.

l GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 10, 1909.

1,087,837, Patented Feb. 1'?, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wit-.1mm

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN J. SGHWEITZER, 0F PUTNY, SUT'H DAKGTA.

GRAIN-DOOR.-

To all LU/wm fit may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN J.

Sciiwnrrznn, a citizen of the United States,l

be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims wit-hout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a part of t-his specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the sev* eral views, Figure 1 shows a front view of a portion of a freight car, provided with my improved grain door. Fig. 2 is a view of the door showing the same as closed. Fig. 3 is an inner view showing the car door as opened. Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view on line 1-4C of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a fragmentary portion of the supporting rail. Fig. 7 shows al detached detail of the locking dog. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the extended portion of the casing around the sliding sec tion of the door.

In freight car construction it is quite essential that the same be provided with what is known as a grain door, in additionto the usual sliding door.

Usually, grain doors are simply boa-rds nailed across the door opening which are later removed and thrown aside. This is both an expensive andL unsatisfactory arrangement, and in my present invention I provide a grain door in which the objectional features of the grain-carrying cars as usually constructed are obviated.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A represents a fragmentary portion of a freight car, and B the door opening. The vertical frame posts marking the door opening are indicated by the reference numerals 19and 19, while the posts intermediate of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .T une 10, 1909i.

Patented Feb. 17 1914.- Seral No. 501,254.

the door opening and the ends of the car are marked 16. Secured to the frame posts as the one marked 19 is the pivot pin 23 supported at its end by means of the bracket 2i, this pin having its remaining end held within the base plate 25 secured to the post 19 as shown. Pivotally held upon this pin 23, is an ear 21, having the perforation 2:2 receiving the pin, and this ear carries the triangular swinging member of my grani door. The oblique edge 18 of this triangular door 2O is provided along opposite edges with the flanges 2,8 in the form of sheet metal strips securely fastened to the opposite faces of this door member. Secured to the rear edge 17, which is held in a vertical plane when the door is closed, is the outwardly extending' flange 29.

Secured to the inner wall of the freight car and adjacent to the frame post 19, is a casing 30 which forms a shield to the triangular door 20, when this door is open. This casing or shield 30 is made of sheet steel, and has the vertical, flanged edge 33, the horizontally-held, flanged edge 32 and the rounded, flanged edge 31. Extending inwardly from the vertical edge 33, is the flange 36, arranged to form a stop and union with the flange 29 when the door is in closed position. By means of these flanges 29 and 3G, the grain is prevented from collectingV and entering this casing 80. lWithin the lowermost part of this casing 30, is an opening 34, clos-ed by means of the slide or cover By means of this opening 34, any grain or dirt collecting' within this shield may be readily removed. The frame post 19 has an opening 38 within which is pivotally held a dog 39, and this dog is arranged to drop wit-hin the slot 40, of the operating handle 37, secured to t-he edge of the triangular car door which is uppermost when said door is in a closed position. In its open position, this handle 37 is held adjacent to the dog 39 in which position the triangular gate or door is entirely held wit-hin the casing or shield 30. In connection with this pivotally held, triangular door member, I use a second triangular door member, this second member being slidably held, however.

I'Iorizontally held within the car, is the slotted or open-seamed tube l2 provided with a` plurality of securing brackets 13, by means of which this tube, which forms a rail or track, `is held in a horizontal position within the car. Slidably held within this tubular track 42, are the heads 44, extending from the brackets 45, which brackets are secured to the lower sliding door member 46. As shown, this door 46 has the vertically held edge 49, and the obliquely held edge 51, which edge 51 forms the hypotenuse of the triangle, this obliquely held edge 51 being` arranged to snugly contact and be held between the flanges Q8 of the pivotally held door member 20. To the lower edge 50 of this sliding door member 46 is secured the metal bar 47, from which extends a rib arranged to be held within the slot 52 of the rail 53 secured within the door of the car. By means of this rib 48, the lower sliding door is held in proper alinement below the rail 42. The bar projects laterally and is inclined as at 47. rEhis member 47 acts as a shield, preventing any grain working into groove 52. Secured to the outer face of this lower car door member 46, is the brace bar 56, which has its ends provided with the openings 57, as shown. rI'his brace rod eX- tends beyond the ends of the two door members when connected, as shown, and serves as a brace to prevent the door from bulging while the car is in av loaded condition.

Secured to the end of the brace bar 56 projecting beyond the vertical edge of the sliding car door, is the chain 60, this chain having its remaining end secured to the shaft 63, which shaft carries the drum 64, upon which this chain winds. As shown in Fig. 9, this shaft 63 projects through a bushing 66, held wit-hin the car side, the outer end of this shaft being squared, so that the same may be suitably engaged by means of a crank serving as a key to wind the chain 60 upon the drum 64.

lnclosing the sliding door as well as the supporting rail, is the casing 67, which has an outwardly extending portion 68 within which the drum 64 is held, the end of the shaft 68 projecting through an opening in this casing as shown. Secured to this casing 6'? is the lower portion 67 held to the upper portion by means of the hinges 69 so that this lower casing portion 67 may be carried upward to remove any dirt or grain that may have collected within this casing.

So far l have described a grain door comprising two triangular members in the form of a right-angle triangle, the upper member 2O being pivotally held while the lower member 46 is slidably carried. In order to Vsecurely lock these members one to the other when the grain door is in a closed condition, 1 provide a swinging link 80, this link being pivotally held to the pin 81 carried by the swinging door member 20. rit its remaining end, this link 80 revolubly carries the arbor 82 to which is secured the pinion 83, as shown. This pinion is adapted to engage the teeth of the upstanding arcuate rack flange 85 of the plate 84 which is secured to the door section 46. This plate is ccentrically disposed with respect to the arc of movement of the link 8O and consequently the pinion is forced along the rack the link 80 will be tensed to draw the two door sections into tight engagement with each other. It will be observed that the length of the rack flange 85 is less than the possible arc of movement of the pinion and that when the pinion is swung to its lowermost position it will be out of engagement with the rack flange and consequently the doors may be moved apart.

To enable me to readily shift the pinion along the rack, l form its arbor with a squared end adapted to receive a key for turning the arbor and pinion to force the pinion along the track. 1n order to prevent the pinion 83 jarring out of the rack, 1 provide the bar 90, which has its surface ratchet edged, so that the upper edge of the link 8O is normally held within one of the serrations or ratchet openings within the bar 90, and this link can only be operated in successively carrying the link over the serrations. By this means 1 provide an absolute grain tight union, and the doors are held against any rattling movement. 1n order to further secure the doors, 1 employ the hand screw 95 which is carried through a suitable opening within the side of the car and introduced within the terminal threaded eye of the bar 56 so that the connected doors are given additional security.

ln opening the doors, the operator first carries the swinging link out of its engagement with the lower door, then removes the screw and winds the chain 60 upon the drum 64, in which operation the sliding door will be carried into its casing. After the sliding door is carried into its casing the remaining door can easily be swung down into its casing, where the same is held by means of the dog that has been described. 1t is, of course, understood, that the two triangular door sections may be made of wood or of sheet metal.

While not in use the door sections are securely held within their casings, and no obstructions are offered to the free movement of the outer main car door.

And having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a freight car, a grain door consisting of two sections, one section carrying a pivoted link, a rack bar under said pivoted link, a dog carried by said link adapted to engage with the rack bar, a pinion bearing arbor carried in the free end of said pivoted link, the other section carrying a second rack bar eccentrically mounted relative to the pivot of the link, and adapted to be engaged by said pinion, and the arbor having a projecting end adapted to receive an operating tool,v\vhereby turning or' the arbor will rotate its pinion to move the pinion along the second rack bar.

2. In a freight car, a grain door consisting of tWo sections, relatively movable, a pivoted link carried by one section, a pinion carried in the free end of said link, an arcuate rack bar carried by the other Section, lSaid rack bar being adapted to be engaged by Said pinion, the pinion having an arbor projecting from the link for engagement by an operating tool to turn the arbor and thus the pinion to shift the pinion along` the rack bar, the arc traveled by said pinion being eccentric to the arc of said rack bar.

3. In a freight car, a grain door consisting of two relatively movable sections, one Section carrying a pivot-od link, a rack bar under said pivoted link, a dog carried by 20 said link adapted to engage with the said rack, a pinion carried in the free end of said pivot-ed link, the other section carrying a second rack bar adapted to be engaged by said pinion, the pinion having an arbor projecting from the link for engagement by an operating tool to turn the arbor and thus the pinion to shift the pinion along the seoond rack bar, the are traveled by said pinion being eccentric to the arc of the last named rack bar.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

HERMAN J. SCHWEITZER.

wWitnesses W. 0. JONES,

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

CII 

